Fastening means for garments, and more particularly diapers



Sept. 25, 1951 J. c. CONDYLIS FASTENING MEANS FOR GARMENTS, AND MORE PARTICULARLY DIAPERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 7, 1949 fzzverzior. J55l e C ConqyZz's. 5 A

P 1951 J. c. CONDYLIS 2,568,910

FASTENING MEANS FOR GARMENTS, AND MORE PARTICULARLY DIAPERS' Filed Oct. '7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 9 59 Z 2g {5 27425 742 76 7 2 Z5 24 Patented Sept. 25, .1951

OFFICE surname-MEANS meantime AND MORE PARTICULARLY @IAPERS Jessieo.eonayiisgehicago, 111. Application October 7, 194'9,se ria1 No. 120,111 v invention relates to restraining means for natidn of safety pins, buttons andsuch more or a less ektran'eous elinnts, and in place thereof providing fabricfasteniiig 'elei'nhts which'inay be integral, homogeneous or homologous with the fabric ofthe'garinentfwhile'atithe sam'e'time permittifn'g extension or "contraction of the garment for'adajptatio n to size of th'e'wearer.

A "p'arti'cular embodiment of the invention as appneato infants" diapers is herein specifically disclosed but it is intended to'be understood that the'inventionis adaptableto other garments as for 'ianiple men's pajamas,fwomens slips, and the like.

Objects and advantages will be 'more readily apparentfroin the'followingdescription, taken togethr'with the accompanying drawings, of two illustrative embodiments'of the invention, and' i'n which drawingsv Figurel is' a plan view showing a diaper sheet with which the present invention is associated;

Figure 2 a folded view of the diaper sheet of Fig. l showingthe fastening elements in'normal position preparatory to use;

Figure'3 is'a view of the panel formed'by the diaper as inFig.'2 again folded upon itself in its next step of application;

"Figure 4 shows an intermediate step in the fastening process, this andsub'sequent vi'ewsbei'ng somewhat enlarged;

Figure 5 shows the completed fastening;

Figure 6 shows an adaptation to a smaller vertical size for the diaper;

Figure? shows an adaptation to a smaller size logth vertically and circumferentially;

' "Figure" 8 shows an application oftheinvention to another type of garment; and

"Figure 9 is'a plan'view'of the structure of 'Fig. 8.

Referring in detail to the illustrative constructionshown in the drawings, numeral I I indicates a sheet of suitable diaper material and whichmay be creasedvertically as at I2, l3 and l4to be folded to panelform as showninFig. 2; For'this purpose the'crease I 2may'be' brought into conjunction with the crease-Hand withtheedge l5 in conjunction with the crease l3. "Next; the sheet is inverted and the edge IS'brought into adjacencywith the 'crea'saB "fandedge' |5,"'thus providing a multi layer panel'fo'rin for 'the'diaper.

On the panel formed between the creases l3 and I4 and adjacent" the lowerfmargin "thereof may be provided afabric loop i!- for a purpose present-1y pointed 'out;

In accordance with the present invention, adjac'ent'the uppermargins of the panel .along each vertical edge, in this instance secured to opposite: edges "of the panel portion formed between the creases l3 and M are a pair of flaps P8 and I9. Similarly "secured to the garment, and thus directly or indirectly to one of the fiaps,'is a strap 20, inthis instance secured with thefiap l9.

Adjacent'the upper'margins of the flaps are a series of perforations which are here termed. buttoh holesbecause oftheir similarity thereto in construction and appearance, although, as already "mentioned, the present'invention does not contemplate the use of buttons. It will be understood that the term button hole is here'used' for convenience of description to refer vtoany suitable'aperture or perforation for the purpose.

"Adjacent the upper edge of the flap 18' are a series of longitudinally or circumferentially aligned button-holes 2 I, 22., 23 and 24,.andsin'1ilarl'y'along' the upper margin of the flap i9 is a. series dfsimilarbutton holes'25, 26, 21 and 28'. The holes "2|" and "25 are atthe outer-or end. tongues 26a and'iz'la respectively of flapsl'fi and. I9;ithese'tongues constituting the free-apex of the somewhat triangular'fiaps I8 and [9 respectively, the bases of whichzfla and'29' respectively'are' secured as by stitching to 'diapersheet l adjacent the" creases f3 and I 4" respectively as already re-- ferredto. Thus the button-"holes already "men-- tionedare aligned 'alongthe margins of what: maybe termed the altitudes 30 and 3 [respectively ofthe'flapswhich inturn are somewhat coincident'or coplanar with the upper edge 32 of the diaper sheet.

What maybe termedthe hypotenuse (33 and 3'4"res pectively) of the flaps completes the some- Whatrightangular definition of the flaps and other button holes are provided in the margins of the flaps adjacent the lower end of each hypotenuse. 'Thus, in the fiap'lfi are button-holes 3.5 audit: and in the flap I9"button=holes 31-and 38. Thebutton-holes' of these pairs of buttonh'oles'"3536 "and3'|'3a are not aligned longitudinally but are spaced apart vertically in the 'fl'apean'd' are also desirably staggered laterally to" correspondin general "with the hypotenuse of eachfiap.

"Farth'er' down on the "panel of the diaper-and nearerthelower edgei39 thereof, but spaced vertically of the'loop [1' which is adjacentthis edge, are'pairs of tabs, one 'pair being 404l and the-other 42- 13. The pair of tabs 404l 'maybe integrally fabricated and sewn as-by an {intermediate- 5 transverse stitch 43a to the diapermaterialrthis stitchbeing somewhat/coincident with the crease l3. Similarly the pair of tabs 4243 may be sewn by a stitch 44 coincident with the crease l4. The tabs of each pair could of course be separately secured to the panel instead of integral.

The use of the diaper and operation of the fastening means will next be described.

The diaper having been folded to panel form as in Fig. 2, it may be placed between the legs of the infant and then folded upon itself as shown in Fig. 3 at which time the upper edge 32 and initially lower edge 39 are brought into somewhat the same plane about the waist of 'the infant. At this time the loop I! and tabs 40-41 and 42-43 are at the front of the garment and the flaps l8 and [9 at the rear, but the latter ready to be brought around to the front of the garment :as indicated by the position of the flap 18 (Fig. 3). The tongue 26a of the flap [8 is shown placed through the loop l1.

Next, as shown in Fig. 4, the flap i9 is brought :around to the front of the diaper and the tongue portion 26a of the flap I8 is passed through one .of the button-holes, say 26 in this instance, of the flap l9, this flap having its tongue 21a also placed in the loop ll. Next, as shown in Fig. 5, the strap 20 is likewise brought around to the front of the garment and its free end passed through the button-hole 2i of the flap l8, this button-hole being in the tongue 26a of this flap which has been passed through the hole 26. The garment is then securely fastened about the waist and will not come apart until the strap 20 is completely withdrawn from the button-hole 2|. The free end of the strap 20 is preferably but not necessarily in the loop l1. Since at least the tongues 26a and 210. are in the loop H, the front part of the diaper is prevented from slipping down.

To further secure the diaper, and particularly about the legs of the infant, the tabs 40-4! and. 42-43 are next shown secured. As seen in Fig. 5, the tab 40 has been passed through the buttonhole 35 and the tab 4| passed through a buttonhole 45 in the tab 40. Similarly, the tab 42 has been passed through the button-hole 31 and the tab 43 passed through the button-hole 46 in the tab 42. Thus the front part of the diaper, about the legs of the infant, are securely fastened to the fiaps i8 and I9 in that region.-

As seen in Fig. 6, if it is desired to shorten th vertical height of the diaper from the fasteners to the crotch, the tabs may be fastened in the upper button-holes 36 and 38 respectively. Here, the front of the garment is moved up, but the loop IT is long enough vertically to accommodate this and still receive tongues 26a and 210. therethrough. 7

As shown in Fig. 7, the diaper may be adapted to a very small child by being reduced both vertically and circumferentially, i. e., from the fastener to the crotch, and about the waist. In this arrangement, to reduce the distance from the fastener to the crotch, the front of the diaper is moved up so that the loop H is entirely above the flaps l8 and I9 and these are fastened together below the loop H. To reduce the distance about the waist or contract the diaper the tongue 260. may be passed through the button-hole 21 in the flap [9 which will cause the flap I9 to overlap the flap I8 to a greater degree (Fig. '7). In this arrangement the strap 20 extends to a greater degree through and beyond the button- 4" there is sufficient overlap of the flaps to main tain the diaper snugly about the legs of the infant. Similarly, button-hole 28 may be used for further contraction.

If preferred, for simplicity of manufacture, the button-holes 22, 23, 24 in the flap I8 and the button-hole 25 in the flap I9 might be omitted, but the. flaps have been here shown alike in the arran ement of button-holes so as to be interchangeably overlapped with either the flap ll underneath and the tongue 26a passing through the button-hole 26 of flap l9, as here shown, or, reversely, with the flap l9 underneath and the tongue 2'lapassing through the button-hole 22 of the flap It. In such latter case (however, not here shown) the strap would be passed through the button-hole of the tongue 21a.

Turning now to another application of the invention and as seen in Figs. 8 and 9, the present fastening means might be. employed for any garment holding means such as a shoulder fastener across the top of a woman's slip, the upper margins of which are indicated at 41 and 48. In this case, a belt or strap 49 is stitched as at so to the garment margin 41 and a pair of tabs 5l-52 secured as by stitch 53 to the garment margin 48. The strap 49 has its free end passed through "a button-hole 54 in the tab 51, and then the tab 52 is passed through the button-hole 55 in the strap 49. To selectively shorten this fastening, the strap has aligned button-holes 56 and 51 and it may be pulled through the button-hole 54 until either the button-hole 56 or the button-hole 51 has gone hole.2l as shown. In the Fig. 7 arrangement,

through the button hole 54, whereupon the tab 52 may be put through button-hole 56 or button-hole 51 as the .case may be.

In any application here shown, or other applications which will occur to those apprised of the invention, the fastening means comprises a fabric or fabric-like material having integral therewith a first member (such as the flap I! or the tab 5|) having a first perforation therein (button-hole 26 or button-hole 54), a second member or fabric or fabric-like material (tongue 26a or strap 49) passing through said first perforation and having a second perforation therein (the button-hole 2| or button-hole 55) in the portion thereof passed through the first perforation, and a third member (strap 20 or tab 52) secured to one of said first mentioned members and passing through the second perforation.

Similarly, flap I8 is a member having a perforation 35, the tab 40 is a member passing through 35 and having a second perforation 45, and the tab 4| is a third member passing through 45.

It is intended to be understood that the word fabric as here used includes cloth and may include similar materials having the somewhat limp character of cloth.

Manifestly, it is not intended that the invention be limited to details of construction shown for purposes of exemplification, and, furthermore, it may not be essential that all features of the invention be used conjointly, since various combinations or subcombinations may at times be advantageously employed. Such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the invention.

What is here claimed is:

1. In a diaper, the combination with a sheet foldable upon itself to panel form, a pair of flaps at opposite upper edges of the panel, a buttonhole in the outer upper end; of each flap, one 0! the flaps being adapted to have its outer end pass through the button-hole in the other flap, and a strap secured to one of the flaps and passing through the button-hole of the flap passed through the other flap, a pair of tabs at each lower edge of the panel, the panel being adapted to be folded on itself to bring the tabs into the vicinity of the flap, and a lower button hole in each flap, one tab of each pair being adapted to pass through said last mentioned button-hole, and said last mentioned tab having a button-hole therein through which the other tab of the pair is passed through thereafter.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of button-holes at each place mentioned in the flaps.

3. In a diaper, the combination with a sheet foldable upon itself to panel form, a pair of flaps at opposite upper edges of the panel, a buttonhole in the outer upper end of each flap, one of the flaps being adapted to have its outer end pass through the button-hole in the other flap, and a strap secured to one of the flaps and passing through the button-hole of the flap passed through the other flap.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein there are a plurality of button holes in at least one of the flaps.

5. Fastening means for garments or the like, comprising a first part having a first button-hole therein, a second part having a limp end portion for passing through said first button-hole and having a second button-hole in the said end portion at least a portion of which passes through said first button-hole, and a member secured to one of said parts for passing through said second button-hole.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein the button-holes extend lengthwise of said portions.

7. In a diaper, the combination with a body panel of a pair of flaps at opposite upper edges of the panel, a plurality of circumferentially aligned button-holes in the outer upper end of a first of said flaps, the other flap being adapted to have its outer end pass through one of the button-holes in the said first flap, a button-hole in the end of said other flap which is passed through the button-hole in said first flap, and a strap secured to said first flap for passing through the button-hole of said other flap, to secure the diaper in body-encircling form.

8. The structure of claim 7 wherein the lower edge of the panel is provided with a loop and the flaps are adapted to be passed through said loop when the diaper is in use.

JESSIE C. CONDYLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 327,407 Oswald Sept. 29, 1885 1,649,958 Home Nov. 22, 1927 1,836,794 Goldstein Dec. 15, 1931 2,122,417 Fridolph July 5, 1938 

